


To be a Queen

by Mhorrioghain



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Romance, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-27 01:46:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13870476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mhorrioghain/pseuds/Mhorrioghain
Summary: After Asgard is destroyed and Thor is crowned King, Loki still schemes. Only this time, he has his sights set on being Queen. And Queen he shall be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I haven't written anything with Thor and Loki in ages and it's about time I start again. So, this is just an idea I had. It's a bit of canon divergence since I'm basically ignoring everything after Ragnarok for now. I hope you enjoy!

“Loki, this is madness,” Thor bellows. His voice echoes off the walls of the Asgardian palace, or at least the makeshift version of their once golden throne room. He’s angry. Loki can tell that much. But he isn’t sure why.

For the past few months Loki has been on his best behavior. He kept to himself, rereading many of the Midgardian books he had found laying around in this abandoned Norwegian library. They were to stay there until their King - his somewhat tolerable brother, Thor - made up his mind on where he wanted their Kingdom to reign from. They could stay on Midgard for a few months, but not forever. From what he had read, this place was governed by democracy and the people did not favour a foreign King ruling in a part of their country. No matter how remotely they were situated.

Thor had spent most of his time worrying over maps of the nine realms (eight now, since Asgard's destruction). He locked himself in a small, dark room, with nothing but candlelight to keep him concentrated. There was a big task ahead of him. Deciding where his people should live and picking a safe place where Asgard could rise from the ashes was no easy mission for a King. Especially when he had other things to deal with. His brother being one of them.

Loki is standing in front of him. It’s nighttime, and the only sound other than Thor’s heavy breathing is the waves gently crashing against the cliffs. It’s almost comforting, until Loki realises that Thor is inching towards him with a weird look in his eyes (eye, Loki keeps forgetting he only has one now).

“What is madness?” he asks. “I haven’t done anything.”

Or, if he did, he can’t recall ever doing it.

“You haven’t - do not cast your foolish tricks on me now, brother. I am not blind to your dealings.”

Loki laughs. “Well, maybe just a bit blind.”

“Loki!”

Thor’s hand slams against the wooden table at his side. Loki swears he can feel the ground shake underneath him. Everything rattles, and the small light emitting from the candle whisps away with the wind.

In the dark Loki moves like a cat, quietly stepping out of his brother’s way until he is leaned up against the other side of the long table. He feels around on the desk, noticing books and paper, most of it crumpled, and the light fabric on which the large map is drawn on. He doesn’t understand. Nothing is calling out to him. There was no use of magic in this room, no reason for Thor to be angry. And yet, he is.

“Brother - Thor,” he corrects himself, “Is everything alright? I need not have to say that you seem ...tense.”

Thor sighs. It’s long and drawn out, like he’s been holding it back for weeks. “Being King is a lot harder than I expected it to be,” he admits. Loki can tell from his voice that it hurts him even to do so. He sits up on the table, tucking both his legs under himself, and listens. “In my youth, I dreamed of ruling these people. But not in the way you did, brother.” Loki nods at the jab, but it doesn’t hurt. Thor never did understand his relationship with the throne. “But now, it just seems so, so….”

“Different,” Loki finishes for him.

“Yes. The Asgard I dreamed of ruling has been defeated. Father said it was the people, and I agree with him to some extent. But leading my people from that throne does seem easier than trying to look for a whole new beginning.”

Loki can understand that. Despite despising that place his whole life, Loki misses parts of it. Like the library, a whole part of Asgardian literature destroyed, or his mother’s quarters, where he was taught to use his magic.

“Well we can’t return to that place,” Loki says. He waves a hand over the candle and ignites it again. “But, starting for scratch might not be a bad thing, brother. Think about it, all the possibilities in the universe are at our disposal.”

“And yet you still wish for me to conquer Midgard to be our new kingdom.” Thor shakes his head. “You haven’t changed at all.”

Loki straightens himself, making his spine stand tall. When had he ever said that? Jokingly, perhaps, many moons ago. But in the past few days… “What?” he asks. “I may have had ambitions to conquer this place before, but not now. Who would speak so ill of me? Was it the Valkyrie? Brother, I thought you had more trust in me.”

Thor raises a brow. He can’t tell if Loki is joking or not. Truthfully, Loki isn’t sure either. He untangles his legs, and steps down from the table. The cold air chills his ankles, which aren’t covered by his gown. Thor watches him, crossing his arms over his chest. He isn’t as angry as before, but he still looks like he could kill.

“Who told you that I desire war, brother?” Loki continues. He wants answers so he can know who to threaten. He puts his hands into his pockets, pulling out two identical knives. Both encrypted with his name and title - Loki Odinson, prince of Asgard. Years ago, he would’ve mocked them. Today, the presents from his mother seemed like worthy companions. “I would like to know the name of the person I should skin for putting false ideas into your head.”

“Brother,” Thor warns. “No one will be skinned. The one who put the idea in my head was you.”

“What?”

“Mere weeks ago, when we arrived you made a sly comment about living here. Father called this place home. In my head, it seemed wrong but as the days went by…”

Loki grins widely. “And now you’re thinking that it is a good idea.”

Thor sighs, wagging his finger at him as if Loki was some kind of bloodthirsty hound. Which he is, to some extent. “No. Yes - I ...I just cannot see us settling anywhere else. Here, we are at home. We reside among our people. I fear there is no place in the greater universe like it. Who would accept us without bloodshed? Without starting an unnecessary war?”

“You’re beginning to sound like Odin,” Loki groans. His tactics towards conquering Midgard were already in play. With Thor on his side, they could easily -

“No. I do not wish to overtake this peaceful realm,” Thor interrupts, sounding more like a King than before. “I just wish we could find something like it.”

Loki drops his knives on the table and surrenders his hands to his head. “Brother, if I may,” he begins, softly. Despite knowing he will always have permission to speak freely, he still asks for it. Thor nods at him, a gentle way of telling his untrustworthy advisor to continue. “This may be against your character but, what if bloodshed is the only way of retaking our former glory? Would you rather Asgard be ruled from a minute part of an already governed country, or in the skies, with all the gold in the nine realms at our hands and feet.”

“Loki.”

“Think of it, Thor, a world where your people would want for nothing. Where they would be safe and happy. You do want your subjects to be happy, don’t you?”

Loki steps back, waving his hands subtly. The magic he conjures forms in a green mist around them, making them step forward into a world unknown to them yet. A world with stretching green fields, gushing rivers, and a palace of gold glistening in the sun. The warm air wraps around Loki’s body, clinging to the clothes loosely hanging off his skin. Thor stands beside him, admiring the vision. He reaches a hand down to his feet, touches the fresh shards of grass to see if they’re real. He’s surprised when he lifts his hand and finds that they are wet. The early morning dew resides on his fingertips.

“Amazing,” he says. His mouth is open wide, as is his eye. He’s looking around at everything. He wants to run and jump and splash in the water. He wants to be here, where it feels like home. “This is exactly what I imagined. Loki,” he turns to his brother and grabs his hands. They’re cold despite the warmth around them. But then, Loki is always cold. “Can you guide us here? Bring our people to a land like this?”

Loki’s lips widen into a smile. _Our_ people, he wonders. Oh, he liked the sound of that.

“Of course I can,” he lies. “I would do anything for the good of our people, Thor.”


	2. Chapter 2

Loki wakes up just as the sun is about to rise. It’s cold outside. Norwegian winters wrap his body in a constant need for warmth. He longs for a hot bath. To be soaked under the waters in his golden chambers that were destroyed alongside the shimmering palace on Asgard. He can almost smell the sweet flowers, taste the treats he had hidden around the room on his tongue. For a moment, he’s sitting in luxury, submerged under liquids that soothe his skin.

He’s awoken from his dream by a sharp knock on the door. Loki shuffles out of bed, searching the ground for his slippers. He finds them easily and slips them on over his cold feet. Then he gets up, brushes himself off and opens the door.

There’s little space between him and the chambermaid who waits on the other side. She’s obviously Asgardian. A former servant of Odin’s. He remembers her like he remembers all of them. He always did have a thing for studying faces. He was constantly testing himself. Always trying to be better.

The woman holds out a silver tray with a letter tucked in with his breakfast.

“From the king,” she says and curtsies.

Loki looks her up and down. His eyes turn to slits. He snatches the tray off her and bids her leave. She bows her head respectively but there is no respect there. She sees him as all Asgardians do.

_A traitor._

_A menace._

_A disgraced prince._

Loki sits down at his desk and unfolds the letter. He pushes his meal to the side, allowing the steaming plate to go cold.

“Loki, we have much to discuss. Meet me tomorrow at midday,” the letter reads.

The messy writing and spilled ink suggests that Thor wrote it in a rush. Most likely late at night, after Loki had tiptoed back to his own quarters. He crumples the paper up in his fist.

“Anything for you, my king,” he mocks.

The word ‘king’ lingers sourly on his tongue. Of course, he would never admit to his brother that jealousy still rattles uncomfortably in his stomach. But it was there. A gnawing feeling. Constantly telling him that he needs something. It calms only when he thinks of himself as a queen. Adorned by everyone, dressed in rich fabrics and silks, his brother’s hand intertwined with his own as he walks him up the steps to their new throne. Loki can imagine it as clear as day.

Everything will become easier once he gains Thor’s trust again. Nothing that a little bat of the eyelashes and a few quirky flirts couldn’t help with.

He quickly eats his breakfast. The meal is unsatisfactory to say the least but it fills his stomach. He has never looked to food for anything else.

He thinks of Volstagg while he changes out of his bedclothes. Weird, he wonders, he hardly ever missed him before.

* * *

For a King, Thor isn’t exactly punctual. Loki waits in the throne room where the ordinary people gather together in small huddles. The midday sun casts shadows in the window above the chair they use as a throne.

Loki glances to each of his sides. His brother walks up to him, rubbing his eye, while the wounded one stares at him, all red and swollen.

“Have you really only woken now?” Loki asks. He says it in a way that reminds them both of their mother. Would Frigga be proud of him now, Loki wonders. If she knew what he was planning, probably not.

“Aye, brother,” Thor yawns. “You stayed until late last night. Your visions can be most entertaining when you put them to good use.”

Loki nods his head. The very subject of their conversation falls on deaf ears, just as it was the night before.

Loki had strolled around their new kingdom with his brother on his heel, looking at everything like he had never seen anything like it. His only moment of weakness came when Thor began to discuss their lost home. As Loki played with the vision, constructing the Asgard he knew into their dream, Thor had asked him, “Do you miss it?”

Loki had taken a long time to answer that simple question. But eventually he had muttered, “Yes.”

Now Thor watches him carefully. As if he has somehow found a way to trust his younger brother again. Which is, in a way, all according to plan. But Loki still isn’t sure. How easily could a man trust after all that has happened between them? Surely he’d be a fool to - Loki stops himself. This is Thor he’s talking about.

“I always put them to good use,” Loki says, quietly.

He jumps down off the step in front of the throne and joins his brother at the end. Thor walks in front of him like always but Loki does not let himself fall behind. He follows the king obediently and is lead into a room that somehow qualifies as Thor’s quarters.

Compared to his own, the place is a mess. There’s paper and bottles everywhere, things stuck to the walls with clumsy hands and books with pages ripped out laying at his feet. Loki steps over them without saying a word. Though the mistreatment of such literature has his blood boiling. Thor simply has no respect for anything unless it applies to him.

“There must be a reason for why you have called me here,” Loki grunts as he sits down on the handmade bed. A woodmans delicate craft, no less. “I don’t appreciate being awakened by some lowly chambermaid just so you can tell me about how well you slept.”

Thor laughs, and it’s nice to hear it. It’s been so long since he has. “No, brother. I wanted to talk to you about last night - about what we plan to do.”

“You mean, invade and conquer,” Loki smiles.

“No. I mean our quest to find a new world. I may be stupid to even think this, but I want you there beside me when we find it. As an advisor to the King. An unfriendly face for all to look upon when we arrive.”

“Pardon me? An ‘unfriendly face’? What do you take me for?”

Thor looks back at him over his shoulder. “A fool, mostly.”

“Hey,” Loki says, standing.

Thor turns around and he towers over Loki. He looks down at him, eyebrows creasing. There’s words left on his lips that he doesn’t dare say.

Only Loki wants to hear them. He wants to hear him shout them. Because he knows what they are. Any sane minded person would. After all their years together, Loki can read him like a piece of children’s literature.

But instead, Loki turns to leave.

“I’ll meet you at the ship then. I’ll gather our people and forewarn them of the harrowing journey ahead. The Valkyrie should be informed by her king, though.”

“She already knows,” Thor assures. “She doesn’t sleep well - I found her lingering around the library like a guilty child late last night.”

Loki scowls. “She already knows?” The look on Thor’s face angers him. He’s doe-eyed and his cheeks are blushed. Loki can see the bright pink seeping through his golden skin. “You find her alluring, brother? You would place your trust in her so easily?” he asks. Thor’s eye narrows dangerously. “And did you tell her that it was my idea? She does not like me, Thor. What if she tries to derail what we attempt to achieve?”

“Loki, your mind is running away and that worries me. Brunnhilde means the future of Asgard no harm. She just ...longs for an adventure. As do I. As do _you_.”

Brunnhilde, Loki snarls. The wench.

“Alright, brother,” Loki feigns a smile, “if she means well then we can put her in charge of gathering the people. Unless, of course, she’s busy vomiting in the bottom of a bucket.”

He marches out of the room with his head held high. He can feel Thor watching him as he walks away. Down towards the dining hall where the people have gathered to feast.

There’s a cold chill in the air as he pushes the doors open. Everyone stops eating when he enters. Some look away, others watch him with daggers in their eyes, parents shuffle their children closer to them in fear that he may turn on them at any moment.

Sometimes he feels like causing destruction, but not today. Today he wants to create chaos with his words alone.

He sees the Valkyrie at the top table, scooping up her breakfast with eager hands. She’s blind to his arrival, or she just doesn’t care to notice. Either way, when he sits down, she doesn’t move from her meal.

“Wha’dya want?” she spits, greedily chewing on the leg of a chicken.

Loki pulls himself back from the table. Leaning away from her disgusting wrath. “I grace you with my presence only to give you a message,” he proclaims.

She looks up at him, eyes resting on his. “And what’s that?” she asks.

“I would only ask that you keep your distance. We are not friends, Valkyrie. While I rest on our mission to this new land, you will remain far, far away. The king may place his trust in you but I do not. Understood?”

The woman pauses and for a moment Loki is expecting her to bow her head and agree. But she is not that kind of person. And he has no power over her.

“Shouldn’t I be the one not trusting you? The only reason I agreed to this possible suicide mission is because I actually want to see the look on your face when Thor discovers you’ve been lying to him, _again_. It doesn’t take much to find out what you’ve done ‘round here. The look on people’s faces tell enough stories. Their words tell even more.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No,” Valkyrie says. “But if you think for one second that you’ll get away with what you’re planning, you might as well drop the charade. Cause it ain’t gonna work on me.”


End file.
